Parenteral fluid equipment



June 20, 1961 c. R. BROMAN PARENTERAL FLUID EQUIPMENT Filed Sept. 12, 1957 INVENTO/PI Jim diam lay 8 m xfi w/ ATTORNEYS.

an inlet check valve.

United States Patent PARENTERAL FLUID EQUIPMENT Cyrus R. Broma'n, Evanston, 111., assignor to Baxter Laboratories, Inc., Morton Grove, Ill., a corporation 1 of Delaware I Filed Sept. 12, 1957, Ser. No. 683,500 .8 Claims. (Cl. 128-214) invention relates to parenteral fluid equipment and, more particularly, to equipment especially suited for the pressure administration of humanblood.

7 Patented June 20, 1961 2 section of a modified form of the drip chamber portion of a blood administration set, and FIG. 4 is an elevational view partly in section of the pumping chamber portion of a set and adapted to be inter-connected with the structure of FIG. 3.

' In the illustration given, the numeral designates i generally a blood administration set as seen in FIG. .1.

., This application is related to my copending application, '2

Serial No. 428,739, filed May 10,1954.

The above-mentioned related applicaton shows a Widelyemployed, manually operable blood pump which includes a resilient pumping chamber having an inlet check valve provided by a floating ball. The pumping chamber is disposed. in combination with a drip chamber provided below the pumping chamber. A problem has arisen during the employment of the above-described equipment for pressure transfusions.

' into a passageway of the resilient closure of a blood hot- During the manual flexing of the pumping chamber, the

drip level in the drip chamber is destroyed by virtue of the drip chamber becoming completely filled with blood. When this occurs, it is necessary to complete the transfusion by pressure or spend the time to reestablish the drip level. Also during a pressure transfusion, the flexing of the pumping chamber induces upward flow of blood into the tubing of the administration set with which the pumping chamber is associated. This not only temporarily deprives the'patient of blood, but also makes the transfusion nonuniform because of the reversal of flow of the blood.

Attempts to overcome this problem have included placing the pumping chamber below the drip chamber. Although this reduces the possibility of losing the drip level, it introduces a much more serious problernth'at of pumping air. Pumping of air in a manually-operable blood administration set is the one bugaboo present in every pressure transfusion. Before the advent of manu ally-operable blood pumps, pressure transfusions were performed by subjecting the blood bottle source to compressed air or oxygen, sometimes with fatal results. This problem was overcome by the floating ball structure found in my above-mentioned application, since pressure on the pumping chamber when no blood was present would only send the air back into the empty bottle. Where, however, a pumping chamber is positioned below the drip housing and equipped with a check valve adequate to prevent loss of drip level, the pumping chamber also permits pumping tle (not shown). As is well known, parenteral fluid transfusions are usually achieved through disposing a bottle source of fluid in a mouth-downward condition and securing a length of flexible tubing between the mouth of the bottle and the vein of the intended recipient.

Mounted on flexible tubing 11 is a clamp 14 adapted to compress tubing 11 and thereby regulate the rate of fluid flow therethrough. In the illustration given, clamp 14 includes a trough-shaped body portion 15 which slidably carries a knurled roller 16. Movement of roller 16 along slot 17 produces varying amounts of compression of tubing 14, and thereby regulates the flow of fluid in tubing 11.

Mounted on tubing 11, at the end thereof adjacent hypodermic needle 12, is a flashback indicating device18 application mentioned above.

which can be flexed after needle 12 is inserted into the patients body to ascertain whether the needle has satisfactorily penetrated a vein. Flashback device 18 also permits the introduction of supplemental medication inasmuch as it is constructed of a self-sealing material such as rubber.

Positioned in tubing 11 between the ends thereof is a resilient collapsible pumping chamber generally designated 19 and which is set forth in detail in my copending Chamber 19 includes a tube of resilient, heat-sealable thermoplastic material such as polyvinyl chloride, of considerably greater diameter than tubing 11 and united at the ends thereof with tubing 11 as at 20 and 21. Preferably, the union at points 20 and 21 is achieved through heat-sealing of the thermoof into la patient, with the chance of causing an 7 embolism. a a V It is, therefore, .an'object of this invention to overcome the 'problems and difliculties described above. Another object is to provide a novel type of manually-operable bloo'dpump, Still anotherobject is to provide a novel manually-operable blood pump including separate pumping'and drop viewing chambers where the inlet of the dropviewing chamber is equipped'with valve means permitting only inwardflow of fluid into the drop viewing chamber. Yet another object is to provide novel parenteralfluid equipment where a. dripmeter isequipped with Other objects and advantages of this invention can be seen as this specification proceeds. "This inventionwill be explained, in an illustrative embodment, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, inwhich I ,1 FIG. 1, is an elevational view of a blood administration set embodying teachings of this invention; FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectionalview of a portion of the set of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is an elevational view partly in plastic tubes together. This can be conveniently performed by fusing sector portions 22 together through dielectric heating, whereby the srnaller tube 11 is axially disposed within the larger tube providing chamber 19. Mounted about the outlet of chamber 19 (adjacent poin 21) is a blood filter 23.

Also positioned in tubing 11 intermediate the ends thereof is a drip chamber or drop viewing chamber generally designated 24. The outlet of chamber 24, designated 25, is heat-sealed to tubing 11 by the same type of heat-seal described above as at 20 and 21 in conjunction with pumping chamber 19.

Disposed in tubing 11 and positioned immediately above drip chamber 24 is a smaller auxiliary chamber 26, united at one end to tubing 11 by a heat-seal as at 27 and at the lower end thereof with chamber 24 by a heatseal as at 28. Supported Within auxiliary chamber 26 from the inlet portion is a collapsible tube or sleeve 29,

seen in cross-section in FIG. 2. Sleeve 29 is unsupported standing. Therefore, such a description follows herewith.

Operation Before the actual transfusion of blood through set is begun, the set is first communicated with a source of colorless parenteral fluid such as saline solution. Through flexing of chamber 19 and/ or chamber 24', depending on whether both are constructed of resilient flexiblematerials, the entire set can be filled with fluid except that chamber 24 is only partially filled to establish a drip level. Care is always exerted so that the set below the drip level in chamber 24 is absolutely purged of air. For this, the set is disposed with needle 12 positioned above the outlet of chamber 24 and small amount of solution is permitted to issue from needle 12 to insure that there are no entrapped air bubbles. For this purpose, it is additionally attractive to employ saline, since it is far less valuable than blood. Once the set is properly filled with saline solution, vein puncture of a patient (not shown) is made by means of hypodermic needle 12. Thereafter, flashback device 18 is manually flexed and if the vein puncture is proper, a red coloration can be noted between device 18 and needle 12 which are communicated by a length 18a of transparent rigid plastic material serving as an adapter for the hub of needle 12. Thereafter, connector 13 is com municated with a source of whole blood and a blood transfusion is commenced, the rate of transfusion being regulated by means of clamp 14.

Where a faster rate of transfusion is required than is possible by means of gravity flow, even with clamp 14 wide open, the attending physician manually flexes chamber 19. Chamber 19, being previously partially filled with blood, upon first collapse will first force airupward through connector 13 and into the blood bottle sourc'e until the floating ball 30 abuts the inlet 31 of chamber 19 so as to close the same against fluid flow. Subsequent collapse of chamber 19 forces blood downwardly and into the patients vein. Upon release of pressure on chamber 19, blood flows therein through connector 13 from the source (not shown). However, no air from drop count= ing chamber 24 is able to enter chamber 19 because of the closure of the check valve structure provided by sleeve 29, as shown most clearly in FIG. 2. Thus, it is possible; through the use of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, to intermittently employ pressure when needed in a transfusion and thereafter revert to regulated gravity flow. At the same time, there is never a danger of pumping air; since the inlet to the pumping chamber, whenever the pumping chamber 19 is not completely filled with blood, is completely open by virtue of the position of floating ball 30.

It is also important to note that another advantage accrues from the disposition of elements found in' the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 wherein the filter 23 is positioned below the pumping chamber. During the course of a blood transfusion, it is not uncommon for the filter to become clogged and therefore resistant to the passage of blood therethrough. With the provision of a pumping chamber above the filter, it is possible to apply additional pressure so as to force a suflicient amount of' blood through the filter notwithstanding its condition of additional resistance. This is not possible where the pumping chamber is positioned below the filter.

Another embodiment of this invention is seen in FIGS, 3 and 4, which again depict a blood administration set, here generally designated by the numeral 100. Positioned in' the length of flexible tubing 111 is a pumpingchamber 119 equipped with an inlet 131, a floating ball 130, a filter 123, and heat-sealed to tubing 111 as at 120 and 121 substantially as is described hereabove with respect to the structure shown in FIG. 1. Positioned in tubing 111 and above pumping chamber 119 is a drop counting chamber generally designated. 124. Drop counting chamber 124 is equipped with an outlet 125 suitably heat-sealed to tubing 111. The top portion of drip chamber 124 is closed by a flat'heat-seal 128 and has extending there- 4 through a pair of conduits 132 and 133. Each conduit in turn is connected to an auxiliary chamber integral with heat-seal 128 and designated 126 and 126', respectively. Supported within auxiliary chamber 126 is a one-way valve 129, substantially as seen in FIG. 1 at 29. Auxiliary chamber 126' is also provided with a one-way check vale 129 whichis reversely oriented from valve'129. Valve 129 is mounted on chamber 124 at the lower portion of the sleeve or tube forming valve 129' and permits fluid flow only out of drip chamber 124. .The upper ends of each auxiliary chamber 126 and 126 communicate with flexible tubing 111 and 111, respectively, which are united through a Y-conne'ctor .134. Connector 134 in turn communicates with a plug-in connector (not shown) similar to that designated 13 in'FIG. 1.

Through the cooperation of check valves 126 and 126', the drip level in chamber 124 is always maintained at the level indicated by the numeral 135 whenever a fluid source is communicated with Y-connector 134. Whenever the level falls below that designated by 135, air is permitted to leave chamber :124 through conduit 133 and valve 129' until the level reaches the lower end of conduit 133.

While, in the foregoing specification, I have set forth specific structures in'considerable detail as a means for illustrating the invention, it will be understood that such details may be varied widely by those skilledin the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a manually-operable blood pump for pressure pumping chamber, and means associated with the inlet check valve and a drip chamber positioned below said pumping chamber, and means associated with the inlet of said drip chamber permitting only inward flow of fluid into said drip chamber.

2. The structure of claim 1, in which said means is a check valve. 7

3. The structure of claim 1, in which said means includes a length of flexible tubing supported at one end in spaced relation to the inlet of said drip chamber.

4. Parenteral fluid equipment, comprising a drip'cham ber having a pair of inlets, check valve means associated with each of said inlets, said check valve means being oppositely oriented, each of said inlets being provided with depending conduit means extending into said drip chamber, the conduit means from one of said inlets extending further into said drip chamber than the conduit means from the other of said inlets, the check valve means associated with the inlet equipped with the longer extending conduit means permitting fluid flow only out of said chamber, and the check valve means associated with the other of said inlets permitting only fluid flow into said chamber.

5. Parenteral fluid equipment, comprising a length of flexible tubing equipped with vein puncture means at one end and connector means at the other end, said connector means being adapted to-communioate said tubing with a source of parenteral fluid, pumping chamber means in said tubing and drip chamber means in said tubing, and check valve means in said tubing associated with the'inlet of said drip chamber'means permitting only inward flow of fluid into said drip chamber means, said drip chamber means being equipped witha pair of inlets, oneof said in-' letsbeing associated with said check valve means, and the other of said inlets being associated with second check valve means, said second check valve means being oppositely' oriented to said first mentioned check valve means.

6. The structure of claim 5, in which each of said inlets is provided with depending conduit means extending into said drip chamber means, the conduit means from the other of said inlets extending further into said drip-chamber means than the conduit means from the first of said inlets 7. In parenteral fluid equipment, a length of flexible tubin'g equipped with vein puncture-means at one end-and connector means at the other end, said connector means being adapted to communicate said tubing with a source of parenteral fluid, pumping chamber means equipped with an inlet check valve in said tubing, and drip chamber means in said tubing spaced below said pumping chamber means, said drip chamber means having inlet and outlet ends, and check valve means in said tubing associated with the inlet end of the said drip chamber means permitting only inward flow of liquid into said inlet end and positively preventing outflow of air through said inlet end.

8. The structure of claim 7 in which the tubing be- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,907,325 Burke Oct. 6, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,108,782 France Sept. 14, 1955 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PatentNo, 2,989,052 June 20 1961 Cyrus R. Broman It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent. should read as corrected below.

associated with the inlet'-.'- read transfusions a pumping chamber equipped with an inlet Column 4, line 30, for "pumping chamber andmeans Signed and sealed this 5th day of December 1961; v

(sEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. WIDEE Attesting Officer DAVID L. LADD Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC- 

